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sloppy joes

Sloppy Joes Freezer Meal Recipe

By Sharla Kostelyk

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There is something very cozy about Sloppy Joes, especially when served in the winter. It’s a meal that brings me back to my childhood and I assume will someday be one that brings my kids back to theirs! This sloppy joes recipe has that classic taste but in the convenience of a freezer meal.

Old School Sloppy Joes freezer meal recipe that can also be made gluten free #freezermeals #sloppyjoes #makeaheadmeals

This make-ahead sloppy joes recipe has a bit of zip in it from the chili sauce. These can be heated either in the slow cooker or on the stovetop.

There’s no reason that Sloppy Joes can’t be enjoyed by people who eat gluten-free if they are served on gluten-free buns. I’ve included gluten-free instructions in case. Of course, if you are not on a gluten-free diet, you can make this the same way and use your favorite buns.

You can double, triple, or quadruple this recipe and separate them into freezer bags to have Sloppy Joes on hand for busy days.

Where did Sloppy Joes get their name?

The “Joe” part of the Sloppy Joes is a bit of a mystery, but it’s easy to see where the “sloppy” part came from! Be sure to have napkins on hand. These are messy to eat, but that’s part of the fun!

Some say that the name derived from a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa with a cook named Joe who added tomato sauce to his loose meat sandwiches way back in the 1930s, while others insist that the name came from the famous Key West, Florida restaurant, Sloppy Joe’s Bar.

A smaller percentage of people insist that the name was born in Havana at Sloppy Joe’s Saloon. It’s hard to know for sure, but all agree that loose meat plus tomato sauce and sometimes other fillers served on a bun has earned the moniker “Sloppy Joes”. Based on an ad campaign from back in the 70s or 80s, they also became known by their nickname, the “Manwich”!

Sloppy Joes Freezer Meal Recipe:

  • 1 1/2  pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 cup onion, chopped finely
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped finely
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard powder
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce
  • 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • buns for serving

*If you are making this sloppy joes recipe gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.

collage of sloppy Joes

To put this meal together, brown the ground beef. Mix the ground beef and all the other ingredients in a bowl and put them into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal. Lay flat and freeze.

On cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in a crockpot for 2-3 hours on low or cook in a pot on the stovetop until heated through. Serve on regular or gluten-free buns, sliced in half.

Our family’s preference for gluten-free buns is Udi’s whole grain gluten-free hamburger buns. They are a great size and consistency for Sloppy Joes.

close up of a sloppy JoesThere are lots of ways you can dress up or personalize this family-favorite meal. You can add pickles to the buns or top with cheese. You can butter the buns or leave them plain. You can even top these with potato chips (yes, really!). However you choose to serve them, this is one recipe your kids are sure to enjoy.

Other Easy Family Recipes:

This recipe is included in our Kid-Friendly Freezer Meal Menu Plan. The other recipes are also kid-pleasers and the plan includes printable shopping lists, prep lists, and printable labels making it easy to fill your freezer with meals your family will actually eat.

Kid Friendly Freezer Meal Menu Plan

3 from 1 vote
Print
Freezer Friendly Sloppy Joes
Course: Main Course
Keyword: freezer meal, gluten free, sloppy joes
Servings: 6
: 304 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2   pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 cup onion chopped finely
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup green pepper chopped finely
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard powder
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce
  • 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • buns for serving
Instructions
  1. To put this meal together, brown the ground beef. 

  2. Mix the ground beef and all the other ingredients in a bowl and put them into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove the excess air and seal. Lay flat and freeze.

  3. On cooking day, take the bag out of the freezer to thaw. Cook in a crockpot for 2-3 hours on low or cook in a pot on the stovetop until heated through. 

  4. Serve on regular or gluten-free buns, sliced in half.

Recipe Notes

*If you are making this sloppy joes recipe gluten-free, be sure to use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce and serve on gluten-free buns.

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Filed Under: Cooking in the Chaos, Freezer Meals, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Freezer Meals Tagged With: sloppy joes

Beef Dump Recipes

Beef Dump Recipes…assemble 10 meals for your family in just one hour!

By Sharla Kostelyk

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Dump recipes are the easiest and fastest way to stock your freezer full of meals. I’ve been making them for about a decade and though the name may not sound that appealing, it speaks to how fast these really are to make. Most of my dump recipes can be cooked in the crockpot, saving even more time.

When I wrote about my Chicken Dump Recipes, the response from busy women (and men) everywhere was overwhelming! They loved the ease of the system, but the resounding feedback was: more recipes! I have been working since then to create a book of Beef Dump Recipes for you. It contains 6 meal plans of 5 recipes each which include shopping lists for each plan and printable labels for each recipe. Beef Dump Recipes. Assemble 10 meals in one hour that can go from the freezer to the crock pot and can be made gluten free.These beef dump recipes are easy to throw together and perfect for freezing. Freezer meals make a lovely gift for friends who are going through an illness or loss or adding to their family through birth or adoption. By doubling these recipes, you are able to assemble ten meals in just one hour! (note that this does not include the time to brown the beef)

The key to successful beef dump meals is to have all your ingredients out before you start assembling. This will save you time and as a result, you won’t have to run out to the store to pick up a missing ingredient!

Steps to making Beef Dump Meals:

  1. Brown the beef. This can be done the day before and kept in the fridge until you are ready to use it. If you like, season the beef with a bit of salt and pepper while browning.
  2. Get out all ingredients.
  3. Label resealable freezer bags (you can use a permanent marker or print labels to stick on) with the name and cooking instructions.
  4.  Prop the bottom of the bags flat and fold the top over, allowing them to stay open.
  5. Add browned ground beef into each bag.
  6. Once the meat is in all of the bags, dump the ingredients for the recipe into the bag.
  7. When all the ingredients are in each bag, remove the excess air, seal the bags, lay flat, and freeze.

Beef Dump Recipes. Assemble 10 meals in one hour that can go from the freezer to the crock pot and can be made gluten free.Below is a sample meal plan which uses ground beef for all of the recipes. Don’t forget to brown the beef before you start assembling. You can find the shopping list, labels, and other meal plans including those using other cuts of beef in the Beef Dump Recipes book.

Beef Hash

  • 1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
  • 500 grams frozen hash browns*
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix**
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • dash pepper

*This amount is the equivalent of half a 1 kg bag, so if you are making two of these recipes at once, buy one large bag and split it between the two meals. **I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix.

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Bake at 350° for one hour, topping with grated cheese the last 10 minutes if desired or in the crockpot on low for 2-4 hours, topping with cheese the last 20 minutes if desired.

Taco Soup

  • 1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2x 14 oz. cans chili style beans
  • 1x 12 oz. can kernel corn, drained
  • 1x 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 14 oz. salsa
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp. taco seasoning*

* store-bought taco seasoning can contain gluten, so I make my own.

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a large pot on stovetop on medium heat until the desired temperature or cook in the crockpot on low for 3-4 hours.

Sloppy Joes

  • 1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce
  • 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard
  • dash pepper

*Be sure to use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if wanting this to be gluten-free.

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in slow cooker on low for 2-3 hours. Serve on bun halves. Beef Dump square

Spaghetti Sauce

  • 1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 green pepper, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2x 14 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1x 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  • 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 Tbsp. parsley
  • 1 tsp. melted honey or sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1/2 tsp. thyme
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • dash pepper

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in crockpot on low for 2-4 hours. Serve over pasta or gluten-free noodles.

Chili

  • 1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 19 oz. can kidney beans with liquid
  • 14 oz. can chili style beans with liquid
  • 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 5 1/2 oz. can tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • dash pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup (this is my secret ingredient!)

Cooking instructions: Thaw. Heat in a large pot over medium until the desired temperature is reached or cook in crockpot on low for 3-5 hours.

Additional Notes:

  • Provided that you plan the meals by common ingredients, it will save you even more money.
  • All recipes can be made gluten-free by following the notes indicated.
  • I heard from a reader who suggested using slow cooker liners. I had never heard of them, but it saves even more time because it eliminates the cleanup of the crockpot.
  • Don’t forget to check out the Chicken Dump Recipes for even more options!

To get the recipes listed here along with free printable labels and a shopping list, sign up for our emails.

Be sure to check out my Beef Dump Recipes book which includes 30 recipes divided into 5 plans plus one bonus recipe. Each plan comes with printable grocery lists and printable labels. Read the list of included recipes. You can also purchase both the Beef Dump Recipes and Chicken Dump Recipes together for more meal options and savings!

hamburger meat topped with melted cheese on a large spoon
Print
Beef Hash
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: beef, hash
Servings: 6
: 326 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
  • 500 grams frozen hash browns*
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. dry onion soup mix**
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • dash pepper
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Add browned ground beef, frozen hash browns, onion, dry onion soup mix, beef broth, and pepper to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.

  2. Place the shredded cheese in a medium resealable freezer bag and seal. Staple the bags together above the seal and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw. Bake at 350° for one hour, topping with grated cheese the last 10 minutes if desired or in the crockpot on low for 2-4 hours, topping with cheese the last 20 minutes if desired.

Recipe Notes

*This amount is the equivalent of half a 1 kg bag, so if you are making two of these recipes at once, buy one large bag and split it between the two meals. **I use an MSG-free, gluten-free dry onion soup mix.

bowl of soup with beef, corn, beans, and tomato
Print
Taco Soup
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: soup, taco
Servings: 6
: 387 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cans 14 oz. chili style beans
  • 1 can 12 oz. kernel corn drained
  • 1 can 14 oz. tomato sauce
  • 14 oz. salsa
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp. taco seasoning*
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Place all ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Heat in a large pot on stovetop on medium heat until the desired temperature or cook in the crockpot on low for 3-4 hours.

Recipe Notes

*store-bought taco seasoning can contain gluten, so I make my own.

Print
Sloppy Joes
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: beef, sloppy joes
Servings: 6
: 304 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 cup chili sauce
  • 14 oz. tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce*
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 1 tsp. dry mustard
  • dash pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw. Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in slow-cooker on low for 2-3 hours. Serve on bun halves.

Recipe Notes

*Be sure to use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce if wanting this to be gluten-free.

Print
Spaghetti Sauce
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: sauce, spaghetti
Servings: 6
: 264 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1/2 green pepper chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cans 14 oz. tomato sauce
  • 1 can 5 1/2 oz. tomato paste
  • 14 oz. diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 Tbsp. parsley
  • 1 tsp. melted honey or sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. basil
  • 1/2 tsp. thyme
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • dash pepper
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Heat in a pot on the stovetop over medium until desired heat is achieved or cook in crockpot on low for 2-4 hours.

  3. Serve over pasta or gluten-free noodles.

blue bowl with chili of ground beef and beans topped with a scoop of sour cream
Print
Chili
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
 
Course: Main Course
Keyword: beef, chili
Servings: 6
: 235 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs. browned ground beef
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can 19 oz kidney beans with liquid
  • 1 can 14 oz chili style beans with liquid
  • 1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes
  • 1 can 5 1/2 oz tomato paste
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • dash pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. maple syrup (this is my secret ingredient!)
Instructions
Assembly instructions:
  1. Add all ingredients to a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.

  2. Heat in a large pot over medium until the desired temperature is reached or cook in crockpot on low for 3-5 hours.

  • Total88.6K
  • Facebook5.7K
  • Twitter29
  • Pinterest82.8K
  • Mix
  • Yummly32

Filed Under: Cooking in the Chaos, Freezer Meals, Gluten Free, Gluten Free Freezer Meals Tagged With: beef, chili, hash, sloppy joes, spaghetti sauce, taco soup

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